By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WARSAW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The liberal, pro-European Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski has admitted defeat in Poland’s presidential runoff following a bruising night that started with him declaring a victory based on an exit poll but ended with him bitterly disappointed after his nationalist opponent Karol Nawrocki won the election.
Final figures showed on Monday that Nawrocki, a conservative historian and former amateur boxer, won Sunday’s election with 50.89% of the vote, ahead of his rival, Trzaskowski, an ally of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who secured 49.11%.
“Congratulations to President @NawrockiKn on his fantastic victory,” Hungary’s self-declared illiberal Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on social media, adding that he was “looking forward to working” with the 42-year-old, who has never held elected office.
France’s National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen, seen as far-right by critics, called Nawrocki’s win “good news” marking a “disavowal of the Brussels oligarchy” trying to impose its “authoritarian policies and federalist ambitions … in defiance of the democratic will”.
With results confirming his rival’s victory, Trzaskowski, 53, told voters: “Thank you for trusting in me and for your vote on Sunday. I am sorry I could not persuade the majority of citizens to my vision of Poland. I am sorry we didn’t win together.”
Yet Trzaskowski, the son of a prominent jazz musician, added: “I congratulate Karol Nawrocki on his win in the presidential election. This victory comes with great responsibility, especially in such challenging times. Especially with such a close result. Please keep that in mind. Thank you for everything. See you!”
COMPLICATING WORK
The outcome will significantly complicate Tusk’s government’s work. While the presidential role is largely ceremonial, it does have some influence over foreign and defense policy and the critical power to veto new legislation.
A veto can only be overturned with a 60 percent majority in parliament, which Tusk’s government lacks.
Unlike Tusk’s favored candidate, Nawrocki does not support Ukraine’s membership in the NATO military alliance.
His presidency was also due to complicate Poland’s support for Ukraine in staving off Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country.
Additionally, tensions are expected between Poland and the European Union.
The race was also closely watched in the United States, where Nawrocki received political backing from President Donald J. Trump.
POPULIST PARTY
In Poland, the 42-year-old Nawrocki is endorsed by the populist-right-wing Law and Justice party that governed the country between 2015 and 2023.
His campaign was overshadowed by allegations of wrongdoing, including questions over his acquisition of an apartment from an older man and his admission that he participated in an organized fight between 140 soccer hooligans in his youth.
Yet the pro-western Trzaskowski faced allegations about foreign funding for online advertising promoting his candidacy.
Additionally, he had to defend himself against suggestions that he was out-of-touch and an elitist while backed by the unpopular Tusk government.
That battle he lost at the ballot box.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice and FBI have officially concluded there is no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was murdered, blackmailed powerful elites, or kept a hidden “client list,” according to a two-page memo obtained by Axios. The findings, based on a years-long federal investigation, aim to silence long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody.
In a pivotal development for the region, Lebanon’s new leadership has submitted a detailed response to a U.S. proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah and de-escalating hostilities with Israel. The plan, delivered last month by U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack, outlines a four-month timeline for Hezbollah’s full disarmament in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and a cessation of airstrikes.
The BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a pointed yet cautious declaration Sunday condemning rising global tariffs and foreign attacks on Iran, while notably avoiding any direct criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump—despite his announcement of an additional 10% tariff on nations aligning with what he termed “Anti-American policies of BRICS.”
President Donald Trump is entering a decisive week in his global trade push, aiming to finalize several long-delayed deals before a major round of tariffs hits dozens of U.S. trading partners. With a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariff policy set to expire July 9, Trump has vowed to escalate pressure on foreign governments — not just with levies, but with a wave of formal notices set to begin Monday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance Saturday since the outbreak of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, emerging during a somber Ashura ceremony in Tehran after weeks of seclusion that raised questions about his health and security.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes overnight targeting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, after a suspected Houthi drone boat assault on a commercial ship in the Red Sea. The IDF confirmed the strikes as part of a new military campaign dubbed Operation Black Flag, aimed at crippling Houthi terror infrastructure and curbing the group’s maritime threat.
Some 27 campers and counsellors are dead after flooding at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in the U.S. state of Texas that had encouraged young people to maintain faith in Christ.